By Kaz
Today, I want to share two simple ideas that have been on my mind: Small Courage and Small Steps.
We often imagine that to change our lives or deepen our practice, we need “Great Courage.” We think we need to be fearless warriors. But in Zazen, we truly only need Small Courage.
Small Courage is the quiet bravery it takes to simply sit down on the mat when your mind is busy and your body is tired. It is the bravery to be exactly who you are, right now, without needing to be “better” and without the weight of judgment. In this zendo, simply showing up and joining this group every Sunday is a profound act of small courage.
Once you have the courage to sit, the rest is just Small Steps.
A small step isn’t meditating for forty minutes in perfect peace; it is just one breath. You only have to sit for this breath. And then the next.
I find this to be true in my life outside the zendo as well. Every year, I train for a triathlon, and the beginning of the season is always a struggle. There are mornings when my body and my brain simply do not want to go outside to train before sunrise.
In those moments, I don’t think about the finish line or the miles ahead. I just find the small courage to put on my shoes and run a small distance. Those small steps accumulate. I become stronger, and eventually, I can focus on running longer and faster.
If you have the small courage to show up—on the zabuton or in your life—the small steps will take you exactly where you need to go.
Hakone Zendo 